


A Reoccurring Thing

by bottomsupkids



Category: Naruto
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-20
Updated: 2016-08-20
Packaged: 2018-08-09 21:08:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7817281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bottomsupkids/pseuds/bottomsupkids
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on a Tumblr prompt.<br/>"You can't just show up at my window at 1 o'clock in the morning!"<br/>by @dailyau.tumblr.com, credited to @writer-in-the-blue.tumblr.com.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Reoccurring Thing

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't re-edit this one as well as I should have, so I'm sorry if this story isn't as good as it should/could be! D: I just got so fed up with it by the time I was done correcting the grammatical errors . . . that's really my only excuse. xD

Kakashi was usually pretty good about not terrifying the life out of Iruka, but today was apparently not one of the days where that was a concern. It was like one in the morning and the brunette had spent _all_ night grading papers . . . thank Kami that tomorrow was a Saturday!

Iruka was just settling into bed, pulling the covers up to his chin and twisting them around him in a cocoon when an incessant tapping at his window starting irking him. At first he tried to ignore it, figuring it was just a tree branch or . . . a bird, or . . . anything that _wasn’t_ Kakashi.

But after five minutes of inconsistent tapping, Iruka decided he had had enough. The Academy teacher finally turned over to see Kakashi, crouched on the other side of his window sill, gripping his side. Technically the jounin was supposed to be away on a mission, but he had left just over a week ago, so it made sense that he would be returning by now.

Iruka sat up and unlatched the window, allowing the silver-haired man to climb in. It was then that Iruka noticed the blood dripping down Kakashi’s fingers. With a silent gasp, the chuunin immediately jumped to his feet, rushing to the bathroom to grab his medical unit whilst silently cursing the jounin for not immediately going to the hospital. But, then again, Kakashi _despised_ hospitals; so ultimately, Iruka wasn’t too surprised this had happened.

Coming back, he found Kakashi had removed his flak jacket and neatly set it on the floor, the bloody side facing upward as to not get any of the substance on the wood. Iruka appreciated the gesture. The Academy teacher placed his medical bag on the edge of the bed and indicated for Kakashi to come closer. The jounin complied, scooching forward to sit in front of the chuunin.

“What happened?” Iruka asked as he lifted up Kakashi’s shirt and began using wipes to clean away the intimidatingly large amount of blood. Kakashi took hold of the dark blue shirt and held it up for Iruka.

“You’re never going to believe me.”

“Try me,” Iruka chuckled, grabbing the waste bin that stayed next to his bed and moving it closer so he could throw away the tainted wipes.

“I was fine right up until I got close to the village. Tripped over a branch and went down. My side collided with an old log.” Kakashi said with a scowl evident in his voice. Iruka laughed softly, amused, but not to the extent where he would lose focus on the task at hand. Kakashi’s injury was nothing more than a scrape—nothing hospital worthy, Iruka understood now, it just had taken a lot of the top skin off in different places across Kakashi’s stomach and ribcage. Iruka rubbed on disinfectant, just in case. After all, Kakashi had fallen in the forest and . . . well, all kinds of diseases could be contracted from nature. Especially since it was old wood that had pierced him initially.

“Does it hurt?” Iruka asked, pulling out gauze and beginning circling it around Kakashi’s midsection, ignoring how he had to almost hug the jounin each time he passed it around the slightly older man’s back. Kakashi noticed the blush on his cheeks, even if the only light was coming from the moonlight streaming through the open window.

“It stings . . . but that might just be from the ooze you put on it.” Kakashi replied. Oddly enough, they were talking quietly. Generally, Kakashi and Iruka were yelling at each other or at least closed to it. Talking quietly was too intimate for them, but this was different. They weren’t whispering, no, because there was no need for that and maybe it was just because Kakashi was exhausted, but Iruka thought that it was nice.

Why he was helping Kakashi when he barely got along with him, Iruka didn’t know. And why would Kakashi come to _Iruka_ of all people? Surely he could go to someone like . . . Sakura? Or even Naruto?

“I’m sure it didn’t make it feel better. Next time I’ll give it a kiss.” Iruka replied sourly, rolling his eyes, but his statement was counteracted by his content smile, which Kakashi was mirroring beneath the secret of his mask.

“I think that would make it feel _much_ better, Iruka-sensei.” Kakashi said back, watching as Iruka taped the gauze in place. After the brunette had leaned back, he let his shirt fall back down, but there were scrapes in the fabric in the place he had fallen, not to mention the dark encirclement from his blood and it was uncomfortable.

Iruka looked at the ruined shirt for a moment before he sighed and went to retrieve clothes for Kakashi. He didn’t have much that wasn’t his assigned uniform—which would be too small for Kakashi—but he did have a few large shirts, even if they were somewhat nice button-downs. Iruka picked out his burgundy one—a gift from Naruto. The shirt was a size too big, and the color did not look good on him . . . but he liked it nonetheless. It was pretty to stare at.

Kakashi looked up when Iruka returned, holding the button-down in his hands. “Here. It’s from Naruto, so try not to ruin it,” the Academy teacher said, placing the shirt down beside the silver-haired jounin. Kakashi nodded, before pulling his ruined uniform shirt over his head and folding it on top of his green flak jacket on the floor.

Kakashi looked at the shirt for a moment before he slung it over his shoulders. Iruka tried not to stare at his exposed torso, still taunt and muscular even beneath the bandaging. When Kakashi’s fingers passed through Iruka’s line of vision, the instructor realized he was buttoning up the shirt and he looked away. “You can sleep in my bed tonight. I’ll take the couch.”

“I’m willing to share the bed with you.” Kakashi replied instantly, earning back Iruka’s stare. When their eyes met, Iruka immediately felt his throat go dry. Kakashi, even though he hid more than half of his face, was . . . unfairly attractive—from the upward wave of his annoyingly gorgeous hair, to the calm silky softness of his voice and his ridiculously perverted and absolutely _hilarious_ humor . . .

Unfair was a good word for it. “Okay.” Iruka’s response was stunningly quiet. “You look exhausted. Lay down, and I’ll make tea.”

 Kakashi nodded as Iruka stood up and disappeared from the bedroom.

 

* * *

 

 

When Iruka came back, Kakashi was laying on his stomach, sleeves rolled up and one arm hanging off of the edge of the bed. Iruka was surprised—he couldn’t even remotely come close to having one of his limbs not on the mattress. Everything had to be bundled up against his side at all times. It was amusing, but he supposed Kakashi had earned the right to spread out. At some point, he’d folded up his pants on top of the rest of his clothes, leaving him in just a pair of black mid-thigh length boxers.

It was almost irresistibly cute. Almost.

“Hey,” Iruka said quietly, making sure not to touch Kakashi and letting him wake on his own. To touch an unconscious shinobi after he has already gone to sleep is the equivalent of poking at an angry lion. It will almost always end poorly. “Tea.”

Kakashi grumbled and turned his head over, blinking his one eye up at Iruka and yawning. Iruka smiled, encouraging Kakashi to sit up and face the Academy teacher, gingerly accepting the cup of warm tea that Iruka had made for him. Tea was the answer for everything, according to Iruka. But at that point, Kakashi couldn’t care less _what_ he was given—he would take it. If it was poison, well, at least it was a gift.

Iruka leaned forward and slipped off Kakashi’s hitai-ate, the jounin dipping his head down slightly to allow the instructor to do so. Iruka then placed the headgear on top of the neat pile, before settling in front of Kakashi, and crossing his legs. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay,” Kakashi replied quietly, sipping at the tea appreciatively. Iruka smiled and nodded, suddenly feeling huge swell of affection in his chest for the man opposite him. Some part of his expression must have changed—maybe his smile got a bit bigger, or his eyes a bit brighter, because Kakashi looked up at him and his eye curved into his smile.

“What was the mission? You’ve been gone for a while,” Iruka asked, not really expecting an answer. Kakashi generally was called away for high-ranking A or S missions—many of which were classified, and were far beyond Iruka’s level of clearance. But Kakashi simply shrugged.

“Nothing serious. It was a delivery of import payment to Suna. Important, but not enough so that if we lost it, it would ruin us.” Kakashi replied, smiling again. Iruka nodded, understanding. It was obvious that the mission hadn’t been too difficult, since Kakashi’s only injury was from a silly mistake on the trek back to Konoha.

“Took you long, though.”

“I wasn’t in a rush. It was nice to get away for a little while. I didn’t stay in Suna very long though. I wish I could have.” Kakashi said, sighing slightly and causing the steam from his cup to blow into his face. Iruka chuckled at the encounter and leaned back on his hands, his hair brushing his cheeks as it swayed with the motion, earning Kakashi’s watchful gaze.

“You should wear your hair down more often.” The jounin commented, going back to sipping at his cup of tea.

“I would, but the kids would pull on it and . . . well, it’s kind of nice at the end of the day to just let it out. It wouldn’t be as rewarding if I left it down all the time,” Iruka replied, his smile refusing to fade. Kakashi mirrored the expression, though it was hidden beneath his mask. Somehow, though, Iruka knew it was there.

They were silent until Kakashi put his empty cup on the nightstand a few minutes later. Iruka had been switching between watching Kakashi and staring out the open window. He closed it once Kakashi settled beneath the covers, soon followed by the Academy instructor. Iruka’s bed was large enough so that they didn’t have to touch, but they both drifted toward each other subconsciously.

By the time they fell asleep, Kakashi had his stomach pressed against Iruka’s back, one arm slung over the slightly younger man’s side. Iruka was at peace with the jounin’s nose buried into the back of his hair. _Maybe_ , he thought, _this could be a reoccurring thing. . ._

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed!


End file.
